Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
668109 | International Journal of Thermal Sciences | 2015 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
This paper deals with an experimental investigation of inlet air pre-cooling with water sprays aimed to enhance the performance of Natural Draft Dry Cooling Towers during high ambient temperature periods. An open-circuit wind tunnel with a test section of 1Â ÃÂ 1Â m2 cross section and length of 5.2Â m was employed to represent an inlet flow area section in a Natural Draft Cooling Tower. Experimental measurements of droplet evaporation and air cooling are presented. Nine high pressure, hollow cone nozzles were tested at various droplet sizes, air velocities (1, 2, 3Â m/s), and injection rates under different ambient conditions. The water spray was characterized using a Phase Doppler Particle Analyser (PDPA). The effects of drop size distribution and air velocity on droplet evaporation, cooling effectiveness, and coverage area were investigated. The data shows clear trends of cooling enhancement with low air velocity or small droplet size distribution. It was found that the spray cooling efficiency, to a large extent, is dependent on spray coverage area. The experimental findings will benefit optimizing spray cooling performance in Natural Draft Dry Cooling Towers and nozzle arrangement.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
Authors
Abdullah Alkhedhair, Zhiqiang Guan, Ingo Jahn, Hal Gurgenci, Suoying He,